Meletius of Lycopolis

Meletius of Lycopolis (died 325 AD) was a bishop of Lycopolis in Egypt at the time of the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.

Biography
Meletius was imprisoned for his Christianity alongside Peter during Diocletian's persecution in the early 4th century. During the persecution, he refused to accept repented apostates back into the church, and Pope Peter deposed him as Bishop of Lycopolis in 311. In response, he founded the "Church of the Martyrs", and his influence extended as far as Palestine. He was said to have ordained Arius as a priest, giving rise to Arianism. At the First Council of Nicaea in 325, Constantine the Great attempted to have the Christian Church broker peace with Meletius, and the Church reached a compromise: Meletius could continue to serve as Bishop of Lycopolis, but he was no longer to ordain bishops outside the region. His followers soon became Arians, and Meletius died shortly after the council.